Just Stay
by Ritsu Arasashi
Summary: Sometimes, there are moments when you just want them to stay...
1. Chapter 1

Matt leaned back a little on his elbows as he sat, stretched out on the floor. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the peaceful silence of the common room when classes were being held. He felt a weight collapse onto him and opened his eyes to see Mello laying on top of him. "Mels? What's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts," the blond mumbled against his friend's chest.

The gamer sighed and said, "Well, then we should-"

"No," Mello insisted. "Just...stay."

"M'kay," Matt replied, rubbing the blond's back gently.

Mello sighed softly and shifted so that he could lay his head on the gamer's shoulder and felt Matt shift so that his foot wasn't pushing against the blond's leg. He gripped his rosary in his hands and buried his face deeper into the gamer's shoulder. "You make a good pillow, Mattie," he said quietly.

"Hm." Matt smiled, closing his eyes once more.

"Thank you," Mello said softly, and then, "I love you-in the not weird brother way."

"You're welcome," the gamer replied. "I love you, too. And I knew that. Need anything?"

"Mm-mm. Just stay."

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

Mello lay on the couch with his arms behind his head. The leather-clad blond had been watching the news a short while ago and was currently cat-napping as he waited for his game addicted friend to come back from shopping.

Much as he hated to admit it, it was both safer and more dangerous for Matt to do the shopping and such. Safer because the gamer was unknown to the country. Hell, if the kid got himself killed the news reports probably wouldn't even have his name. It more dangerous, though, because the gamer _could_ get killed, and that was the very last thing on earth Mello wanted. He'd take his own life before he let Matt die on him. Besides, the gamer was all he had left.

"Oh, damn," he groaned as a weight dropped heavily on him. "Matt..." He opened his eyes irritably.

The gamer grunted softly, but didn't move.

"Mattie." Mello softened a little. Sure, the gamer was a tad heavier than himself, but they were still best friends. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"My stomach hurts," Matt mumbled.

The blond instantly remembered a self-same occurrence- what was it? Ten, twelve years ago?- where he himself had said those very words to his friend. Now, the roles were reversed, but Mello didn't mind in the least. He rubbed the gamer's back gently and said, "You want me to get you anything?"

"No. Just...stay," Matt replied.

"All right."

After a couple minutes of silence, the gamer mumbled, "You know, you make a damn good pillow yourself."

The blond smiled and chuckled. "Really, now? I'd have thought I'd be too bony."

"Mm, but you're still a damn good pillow," Matt said. "And, thanks, you know, for everything. I love you."

A little half smile formed on Mello's face. "In the 'not-weird brother way'?" he asked, even though he knew.

"Yeah."

"I love you, too, Mattie. Are you sure you don't want me to get you anything?"

"Mm-hm. Just stay."

_All you have to do is ask. I'd give the world, if only you asked. I'd give you anything and everything._ "Of course."


	3. Chapter 3

"Matt! Wake up, lazy ass! You're gonna be late for class!" Mello pounded on his friend's door, but the gamer refused to answer. Sighing in frustration, the blond forced open his friend's door to find the boy curled up under about five blankets and shivering horribly.

"M-Mel?" Matt said weakly, rolling half-way over to look.

Mello sighed, shutting the door gently behind him and strode across the room to stand beside the gamer's bed. "Matt, why aren't you dressed? Your first class starts in about five minutes."

"I don't-" Matt started, before collapsing into a fit of coughing.

The blond watched the gamer's body convulsing with the coughing and felt his heart clench at the pain and discomfort his best friend was going through. He reached out and felt the boy's forehead. Hm, fever. "I'm going to go get some medicine from Nurse Jade, 'kay? I think ya just have a cold. You're throat hurt?"

"A little," Matt said.

"M'kay," Mello said. "I'll be right back, all right?"

The gamer nodded once, then pulled the covers over his head like they had been before the blond had come in.

Less than five minutes later, Mello came back with a few supplies in his arms. He laid them out on Matt's night table and said, "Mattie, sit up."

The gamer complied without complaint.

The blond got a good look at his friend as he got the boy to put the thermometer under his tongue. A red, puffy, swollen nose, bags under his eyes and an overall generally crappy appearance were all that could be seen. "Matt, you look like crap," Mello said bluntly.

"Hn," Matt answered around the hindrance in his mouth. The thermometer beeped a short while later and he handed it to his friend.

The blond looked at the read out. "102. Hm, I was close, though." He sighed and picked up the medicine and the spoon; he opened the bottle. The gamer wrinkled his nose in disgust and tried to scramble away, but Mello stopped him.

"No," the blond said forcefully, grabbing his friend's wrist and jerking him back onto the bed as he set the medicine down. "You have to take the medicine."

"But it smells like crap," Matt whined, coughing.

"Matt, do you wanna stay sick, or do you wanna get better as fast as possible?"

The gamer pouted. "Don't care."

"Well, if you don't care, then I'll just leave," Mello said, getting up and starting to walk out.

"No!" Matt cried, launching himself at the blond and wrapping his arms tight around the elder's waist. "No. Please. I'll do anything. _ANYTHING_. Just don't leave me. Just...stay."

Mello sighed. It wasn't like he'd _planned_ on leaving, but truth be told, the gamer's reaction scared the bloody hell out of him. The boy acted as if he planned on blindfolding him, dragging him to the most confusing place in the woods, tying him to a tree, taking the blindfold off and leaving him. Was he bloody damn _insane_? "Get back in bed, then, before you get any sicker."

"Yes!" Matt yelped, diving back under the covers and sitting there patiently.

"Bloody hell," the blond muttered as he sat down on the side of the bed. He picked up the medicine, opened it and poured the dose into the spoon, holding it out patiently.

Even though his nose was wrinkled in disgust, the gamer willingly opened his mouth and took the medicine without complaint. He swallowed hard and grimaced at the taste.

"There now," Mello said as he set the now-empty spoon and the medicine bottle down on the night table. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

Matt shook his head. With anyone else, it would have been. But having Mello made it bearable at least.

The blond smiled and pulled the gamer into a gentle hug. "Now, you need some rest. Do you want anything?"

Matt frowned as Mello released him. Need anything? Maybe. Want anything? Definitely. "Mello?"

"Hm?"

"Stay with me?"

The blond pushed the gamer back down onto the bed and lay down beside him.

"Under the covers, maybe? I'm freezing."

Mello smiled softly before sliding under the covers. Of course, it was only a matter of time before Matt was latched around the blond's waist. He could feel the gamer shuddering against him and ran his fingers comfortingly through the boy's hair. "Anything else?"

"No. Just stay."

"Why'd you think I was gonna leave?"Mello whispered as he wrapped an arm around Matt's waist and rubbed his back gently.

"Because everyone else has," came the reply, slightly muffled by the blond's chest.

"If you like, I'll stay with you as long as you want," Mello whispered into the gamer's hair.

"As long as we're friends?" Matt asked quietly.

"That and longer. If it's what you want," the blond replied.

"How long'll that be?" the gamer asked.

"Forever and ever."

It was cheesy. It was from Winnie the Pooh. Somehow though, it must have been what Matt needed to hear because he smiled and squeezed his arms a little tighter around his friend's waist. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," Mello replied softly.


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh, Matt~"

"What." The gamer didn't even have to open his eyes or roll over to know that it was his blond best friend jabbing him in the side at God knows what hour. All _he_ knew was that the blond better have a damn good reason for...

"Let's go play Nerf© tag!"

Matt's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly. "What the-" His eyes fell on his alarm clock. "It's two in the damn morning," he yelled. "What on—mnf!"

Mello clamped his hand over the red head's mouth quickly. "Shh! Do ya _wanna_ wake Roger?" he hissed in his friend's ear.

The gamer simply glared at the blond for a few seconds before biting his friend's hand hard, possibly hard enough to draw blood.

"Ow!" Mello jerked his hand away and glared back. "What was that for?"

"Just coz," Matt snapped. "I still haven't paid you back for waking me up at two in the morning to play damn Nerf© tag! Why the hell are you even up at this time?"

The blond shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

The red head rolled his eyes angrily. "And I'll be damned if you can't leave me in peace, eh?"

Mello shrugged again. "So, are ya coming?"

Matt sighed heavily and got out of bed to search for his jacket and a pair of shoes. "Considering you won't let me go back to sleep? Yeah," he relented.

He could've sworn he heard a quiet "Boo-yah!" at that.

He rolled his eyes and threw on a black hoodie and pulled on his Converses. "Ready," he said.

Mello snatched him by the wrist and dragged him out the room.

After playing "ninja", as Matt called it, the two friends made their way out of the front doors of the orphanage and into the courtyard.

"Kay, here are the rules," the blond started, tossing a gun and a baggy of "bullets" at the red head, which the gamer caught with ease.

"There are none." He smirked. "First person that runs outta ammo has to call 'Uncle' and the one with the most points wins. And, Mattie?" He cocked his gun. "You're already losing, 1-0.'

A bullet ricocheted off of the red head's chest and he rolled his eyes. If it got him back in his warm bed faster...

"And no firing in a random direction just to run out faster. Actually put some effort into this, or I'll break one of your precious games."

"You touch one of my games," Matt bristled angrily, "and I'll break a week's worth of your chocolate."

One bounced off of his nose this time.

"2-0," the blond snickered before taking off.

Matt sighed, shaking his head, before following his friend into the grove of trees at the southeast corner of the yard. Climbing into a tree near the edge of grove, the red head inspected the gun his friend had thrown at him in the half light. Hmm, it had laser light sights. That would make it easier to spot at night... He sighed again and leaned back against the tree, letting his feet dangle over the sides of the branch he was sitting on. Maybe he'd be able to-

_Fhump! Fhump-fhump-fhump-fhump!_

"No sleeping, Mattie~!" Mello teased from the darkness as five bullets pegged Matt from his head to his toes. "7-0!"

"And how many bullets are there?" Matt grumbled.

"How many are there usually?" the blond called, disappearing again.

The usual number. Great. Mello's OCD made it impossible to deal with any number that wasn't an even, composite number with four factors and it had to be under 100. Which meant the "usual" was 50. That left 43 bullets. Wonderful.

In the middle of grumbling to himself, the gamer noticed a red light on the side of his knee. Using his gamer reflexes, he shot eight bullets in the direction the laser light shone from. He knew most would miss, but...

"Ow! Fuck, Matt. What're ya tryin' to do? Blind me?" Mello came out of a nearby tree, clutching his right eye.

"Oops," the red head mumbled, regretting that, in his laziness, he'd picked a low branch.

The blond threw the gun and ammo on the ground and snatched the gamer up by his shirt. "'Oops', my ass!" he snapped. "What the hell were you aiming at?"

Matt shrunk a little at his friend's reproach and anger. "I was using your laser light to find you," he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

Silence, and then... Mello sighed.

The gamer opened his eyes to gauge the blond's reaction and was shocked to see humor in his friend's eyes.

Mello snorted. "It's amazing how you have perfect aim in your stupid games, but in real life you couldn't hit Big Ben," he chuckled.

"So, you're not mad?" Matt asked hesitantly.

"Hell yeah. I'm _pissed_. I'll have a fucking black eye now," the blond snapped, jerking the gamer to the ground and letting go of him to go pick up the toys.

"Would 'I'm sorry' help?" Matt mumbled awkwardly.

"Ya know," Mello grumbled instead of answering. "I'm sure as hell glad these were just toys."

"Why?"

"Coz, in case you didn't notice, here," he poked all seven "wounds" on his friend respectively, "are all survivable. Ya went for a fuckin' kill shot your first try," he snapped, indicating his bruising eye.

The gamer swallowed awkwardly, feeling horrible. He wished the blond would hit him for it, he deserved it after all, but Mello wouldn't. He never hit Matt. Threatened to? Yeah. Pushed playfully? Hell yeah. But he never actually hurt him. Even though he'd willingly beat the shit out of others, especially Near, and even a teacher at one point. That one... ooh, that one got them both grounded and away from their vices for almost a year. A Mello without chocolate is a death wish to just about anyone he talks to, Matt being the one, read: only, exception.

Said blond turned and looked at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, actual concern present in his voice, something that only happened with the red head.

"Nothin'," Matt mumbled shoving his hands in his hoodie's pocket.

"Like hell there isn't," Mello said, nudging the gamer playfully in the side. "Tell me."

"...Why won't you hit me?" the red head mumbled quietly.

The blond stopped short. "...You want me to?"

"Sometimes, yeah," Matt said. "I mean, I deserve it. Like now."

_Smack!_

The red head's eyes widened slightly.

"The only reason I hit you now," Mello snapped, "is because you're talking nonsense. You don't deserve to be hit. Ever, Mattie. Alright? The reason I don't hit you...it's because you're my friend. My best friend, my _only_ friend, really, and... honestly, I... I don't want to lose you..."

"...O-okay," Matt stammered. He rubbed his cheek gingerly, only to be shocked even further when he was hugged tightly by his friend.

"Shut up," Mello mumbled quietly, silencing any protest, squeezing the gamer a little tighter before letting go and taking a step back, and smiled awkwardly. "I..."

Matt shook his head, punching the blond playfully in the shoulder. No need to damage his already bruised ego any further. "Don't worry bout it, 'kay? I understand a little more than I did."

"Good."

The duo quickly made their way back into the house. When they reached the gamer's room and it was time to part ways, Mello stopped.

"What is it?" the red head whispered.

"I..." The blond wrung his hands a bit in embarrassment. "Ya remember when I said earlier that I couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I... I kinda...had a nightmare."

"Oh, Mel-"

"Shut up, okay? I know I'm a thirteen year old boy, alright? But—mmf!"

"Shh!" Matt hissed as he covered his friend's mouth gently. If anyone could wake Roger, it would be him. "You of all people should know that I'm not gonna pick on you coz you had a nightmare, okay?" Without waiting for Mello to answer, he dragged him into his room. "Now, sit," he ordered, pulling the blond down onto the side of the bed with him. He moved his hands. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"No," Mello answered, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest. Figured. It probably hurt just enough to admit he'd had a nightmare, even to his best friend.

"Well, I'm going back to sleep. You know where the door is," the red head said, shedding his hoodie and curling back up under his covers, with his back to the blond, and closed his eyes.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the sounds of the boys' breathing. Minutes passed, until...

"Mattie?" Mello asked quietly.

Mat would have ignored his friend and pretended to be asleep, but something about the other boy's voice caught him off-guard. It was tinged with an emotion that even the red head hadn't heard in a long, long time: fear. And, perhaps, a tinge of loneliness. "What?"

"Can...can I stay in here tonight?"

Matt sighed before scooting closer to the wall and mumbling sleepily, "Fine, just don't kick me in your sleep or you'll be waking up on the other side of my door and this won't happen again."

"Yeah, yeah," Mello answered as he crawled under the sheets, laying down with his back against his friend's.

But the gamer knew what he really meant.

_I'm thankful you're letting me stay and I'll try my best not to kick you and hope that you'll forgive me if I do, because I just want you to stay my best friend forever._

Matt couldn't help but smile, knowing what the blond's pride would never let him say aloud: _Just... stay._


End file.
